The Haggis: A Conservation Effort
The Haggis, commonly known as the inspiration for the Scottish dish of the same name, is facing a threat of extinction. This is designed to give some information about this majestic creature that many might not know about them and clear up some myths about them on the way.
Chieftain of the Pudding
The Haggis hails from the Highlands of Scotland, populating the mountainsides. Their legs on the left and right sides are of vastly different lengths owing to this, allowing them to balance on the steep, rocky hills easily. Unfortunately, this means they are only able to walk either clockwise, Righties, or anticlockwise, Lefties, around the mountain. Due to this the Haggis's are only able to mate with those of the same leg format as themselves, hampering conservation efforts.
The Auld Guidman
Historically there used to be far more Haggis but due to hunting for their namesake meal and the inability of interbreeding between Righties and Lefties they have become rarer and rarer. Some misguided souls might even try to convince you that they aren't real - claiming that the meal haggis has always been a suet and offal derivative - although this is a direct impact of the hard work of conservationists.
Few people today have ever seen a haggis, with only a few rare photos of the creature existing alongside a taxidermied exhibit in the Glasgow Kelvingrove museum. It is, however, conservationists' hope that one day these amazing animals will run freely throughout the Highlands once more.